


Tangled Desires

by serendipitous_mythicality



Category: Link Neal - Fandom, Rhett & Link, Rhett Mclaughlin - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Back Pain, Confusion, Link Neal - Freeform, M/M, Massage, Prologue to Tangled Minds, Rhett McLaughlin - Freeform, not married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_mythicality/pseuds/serendipitous_mythicality
Summary: Takes place almost a year before the events of Tangled Minds.Rhett is dwelling on the fan fiction episode and exercises to work out his frustrations. He hurts his back.Starts when Link comes in and offers to massage him.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Tangled Desires

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Tangled Minds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26534536) by [serendipitous_mythicality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_mythicality/pseuds/serendipitous_mythicality). 



Rhett is laying on his bed, shirtless, moaning pitifully on top of the covers when Link strides in.

Looking at his phone, he’s distracted as he talks. “I’m heading out. Sarah and I have a date.” Looking up, he notices the scene in front of him. He tucks the device into his pocket and leans back to get a better look at his friend.

“Is your back acting up again, Rhett,” he questions with concern heavy in his voice, “I told you to take it easier on that routine. It’s been a while since you last exercised.”

“Save the ‘I Told You So,’ man,” the injured man grouses as he struggles to find a comfortable position. Laying on his stomach, he regrets pouring his frustrations into his workout. 

What Link doesn’t know is why Rhett had gone so hard at the squats, lunges, weights, etcetera. He won’t be finding out either. 

Embarrassed, he buries his face further into the pillow. Ever since that Fan Fiction episode, he hasn’t been able to lie to himself anymore. Sure, it’s okay to find your best friend, co-host, and business partner attractive. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Checking out his ass every time he bends over means something a little bit different. He’s mortified. Rhett had truly thought he’d had it under control. The impulses hadn’t been this bad since college.

Of course, Link is oblivious. 

Damn him. Bless him. Rhett doesn’t know which.

“How bad is it? Do you want some pills?” Link makes the offer as he runs his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. He hates to see his best friend in pain and wishes there was some way to help. He barely hears the other man say he’s already taken a muscle relaxant. Before he can think too hard, he blurts, “Do you want me to rub it?” 

The resulting silence is only broken by the sharp inhale Link makes after realizing what he’s said can be taken a few different ways. “I mean, would a massage help, homie?”

There are pros and cons to this, Rhett thinks. A massage doesn’t have to be viewed as anything other than clinical. He won’t be the one to make it awkward. Link will probably be terrible at giving massages. If he isn’t, he might be able to actually help make this infernal pain go away. 

Deciding said pain will prevent him from getting too into the experience, he agrees.

Tentatively, Link approaches the bed his tall best friend is currently sprawled over. “Where is the worst of the pain? I’ll try to work around it to loosen you up first before tending to it.” 

Body shuddering as another spasm hits, Rhett admits, “It seems to be radiating from two places – the base of my spine and up near the bottom of my right shoulder blade. Please don’t make it worse, bo.”

Insulted, Link sulks, “Like I would ever hurt you.”

It’s a strained and muffled chuckle that he gets in return. “You tripped and accidentally threw a bag of groceries at me last week. If I hadn’t caught them, who knows what would have happened. Even this week, you…,” he gets cut off indignantly.

“I get it. You don’t trust me,” Link bites out huffily.

Rhett would try to roll over if he wasn’t hurting so badly. “I’ll always trust you, Link,” he appeases softly. His sense of humour is such that he wants to follow up with a joke about being clumsy but manages to bite his tongue.

He really wants that rub Link mentioned but will settle for the massage.

Keep it pure, McLaughlin, he orders himself mentally. He really shouldn’t have read that fan fiction he’d ‘accidentally’ stumbled over last night. It had his head jumbled up worse than normal. He’d ended up in tears by the time the story about them as soulmates had reached its conclusion. It had been a lot different from the sexier options they’d had to read on the show. Somehow, it had struck more deeply than even those had. 

Warm hands settle on his spine, angled weirdly. Still, it’s a free massage so he isn’t going to say anything. The gentle strokes feel nice, but they’re not deep enough to loosen the knots that have formed. 

Luckily, Link comes to the same conclusion.

“My own back is starting to hurt, hunching over like this. DoyouthinkitwouldbebetterifIgotonthebedtoo?”

They’re in sync enough that Rhett can make out the garbled mess that comes out of the mouth above him. Nonchalantly, he shrugs before cringing as another spasm shoots up his spine. “Whatever it takes,” he croaks as he waits for some kind of relief from the pain.

He wishes he were in a better state so he could enjoy the feel of Link straddling him. Then again… if he weren’t in this shape, this wouldn’t be happening.

Puppies and kittens. Puppies and kittens. Pure thoughts. 

He can’t help the little sigh that emits as long fingers curl over his hips as Link gets himself into the best position to start. Strong legs bracket his thighs and it feels so good.

So good. 

Choosing to ignore the sound, Link sets his thumbs down on the center of the spine before him, gently circling. This isn’t weird at all. It’s totally normal for two best friends to be in this position. 

After a few minutes of light stroking, Rhett feels relaxed enough for him to start working the muscles a little more firmly. The shoulder loosens up fairly easily after several minutes of work. 

Time is meaningless to both of them. Link has completely forgotten about going to pick up his girlfriend. 

Feeling Rhett jump and shudder as he works along his lower back and hips, Link returns to his earlier ministrations. He doesn’t want to aggravate the area that he’d been told hurt the worst. 

“Come on, man. Don’t be a tease. Go back over to where you just were,” Rhett pleads huskily, boneless. He’s managed to just enter the moment and focus on the lack of pain. He’s proud of himself for having managed to bite back his pleasured whimpers during the entire process so far.

Surprised, Link quirks an eyebrow. “I was worried I was hurting you.” As he finishes, he notices the goosebumps peppering the skin beneath him. 

The reply is mumbled into the pillow. “No, it feels good.”

Rhett knows his own body so Link presses in firmly, wiggling his hips a little to get better traction. The low moan he gets in response makes the hairs rise up on the back of his neck. He’s too stubborn to admit how proud he is to know he can draw such responses from Rhett. 

Rhett pants out, “A little to the right, Neal. Right. There.”

“You’ll take what I give you,” growls Link. He’s only teasing so would be shocked to know the words had arrowed right to the dick of the man underneath him.

Fuck it, thinks Rhett, this may never happen again. Enjoy it.

After a few more minutes, they both freeze – Link in amazement and Rhett in shame.

The ecstatic noise ringing through the room especially shocks him when he realizes it had come from his own body. Link had accidentally tickled him.

Tickled him.

“Ooh, baby, you like that?”

Kill him now. Let a hole open up and swallow him. Rhett decides to make a joke like they usually do. “Suck my dick, Neal”

“Maybe next time.”

It wasn’t meant to mean anything. They’ve always done such taunts. The hesitant, barely audible “Okay” from Rhett not only shocks the hell out of Link but immediately turns him on. He’d been faring well up to that point, mind compartmentalized. The moans had almost gotten to him until he’d told himself it was a natural reaction on Rhett’s part. 

Imagining his lips wrapped around Rhett’s dick, Link feels himself swell. Panicked, he accidentally rubs over his friend’s ass as he pulls back to escape. He can’t help the groan doing so causes.

Frozen, he hears Rhett begin to incredulously ask, “Link are you…,” before the sharp ring of a phone interrupts the awkward moment. 

Clambering off the bed, Link pulls the cell from his jacket pocket. With only the tiniest of backward glances, he leaves the room, leaning against the hallway wall.

Fighting back the image of a bare-chested Rhett turning to look at him, he struggles to pay attention to the voice of his girlfriend. It’s hard to do when all he can think about is the desperate noise, he’d elicited from the man he’d just left behind. 

He wants to hear it again. 

It’s normal. Scientific even. It doesn’t mean anything.

“Sorry, the time got away from me, Sarah. I was just giving Rhett a massage. I’ll head out now,” Link says from the hallway. 

Rhett can’t help overhearing his friend’s side of the conversation. He could leave and give Link his privacy, but he gives in to the urge to stay. It’s his room after all. If he wants the call to be private, he’ll leave. 

“I was tired when you asked me to rub your shoulders, Sarah. Oh, come on! Rhett’s my friend and he hurt himself. What was I supposed to do? Walk away and leave him to suffer?”

Leaning forward, Rhett waits to hear more, but Link’s voice gets fainter as he heads towards the stairs.

What had just happened?

**Author's Note:**

> The night ends up being spent watching TV together after Sarah cancels her and Link’s date. The earlier incident is steadfastly ignored. 
> 
> A week later, the couple gets back together again after Link sends a bouquet of roses for her birthday. Link escapes into the safety of what he understands. Not that he allows himself to think too long on any other scenario. 
> 
> Rhett and Link’s relationship goes back to its usual form until the events of “Tangled Minds” start. They’ve always been good at ignoring things. 
> 
> Until they can’t anymore.


End file.
